Colston out for Saints; Abraham, Hartwell return for Falcons

Tweet

New Orleans rookie Marques Colston was inactive for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons after spraining his ankle the previous week in a loss to Cincinnati. Colston, a seventh-round draft pick and one of the NFL's biggest surprises, leads the Saints with 54 catches for 869 yards and seven touchdowns. Devery Henderson started in his place at wide receiver. The Falcons' top draft pick, cornerback Jimmy Williams, sat out his second straight game with a sprained ankle. However, Atlanta was bolstered by the return of three-time Pro Bowler John Abraham at defensive end. He had played only two games this season after sustaining a groin injury in Week 1 and later needing abdominal surgery. The Falcons also had middle linebacker Ed Hartwell, who had missed all but two games because of knee problems, and offensive guard Matt Lehr, who sat out five games after being suspended for a violation of the NFL steroids policy.